Trip GrapevineTop places, picked by travellers

Seaside Heights · Hotel shortlist

Hotels with a bar in the city centre, Seaside Heights

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Updated 1 September 2026 · 8 Seaside Heights hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Seaside Heights, out of the 8 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.2 down to 4.1.

Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood is the one I would book myself.

Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood

Highest rated of the five

Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood

★★★★★4.2 from 983 reviews

Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.2 from 983 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 5 star property, found under city centre and around $304 a night on the dates we checked.

8 hotels in Seaside Heights qualified for this list and five made it. The Bentley Inn is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Poolsomewhere to cool off between walks
  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Bara drink without going back out
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze

Check rates Read more

All five, ranked

  1. Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood1

    Hilton Garden Inn Lakewood

    ★★★★★4.2 from 983 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

    Check rates Read more

  2. The Bentley Inn2

    The Bentley Inn

    ★★★★★4.8 from 211 reviews

    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

  3. Clarion Hotel & Conference Center Toms River3

    Clarion Hotel & Conference Center Toms River

    ★★★★★4.2 from 1,260 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

    Check rates Read more

  4. Days Hotel by Wyndham Toms River Jersey Shore4

    Days Hotel by Wyndham Toms River Jersey Shore

    ★★★★★4.1 from 1,218 reviews

    • Pool
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly

    Check rates Read more

  5. Hershey Motel5

    Hershey Motel

    ★★★★★4.1 from 691 reviews

    • Pool
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning

    Check rates Read more

How this list was put together

8 Seaside Heights hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Talia Ben-Ari

Talia Ben-Ari Turkey, the Gulf and Egypt

Editing runs in intense blocks with real gaps between, and she fills the gaps by going somewhere with no plan. No itinerary, no bookings past the first night.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.